What is GeoGuard?

GeoGuard is an innovative end-to-end GNSS service for the continuous monitoring of structures and ground deformation.

GeoGuard Service includes hardware and activities specifically designed for the monitoring of the displacements and deformations of structures and ground on selected points, customized to different application scenarios, by means of accurate price-competitive GNSS positioning with centimeter-level accuracy in near real-time, or millimeter-level accuracy for daily/sub-daily solutions.

Field inspection

Preliminary inspection activity of the site to be monitored, in order to design the most appropriate solution

Hardware deployment

deployment of the sensing infrastructure, composed by GeoGuard
Monitoring Units, according to the site characteristics

Data transmission

connectivity setup between the sensing infrastructure and the GeoGuard Cloud

Data processing

GeoGuard Cloud, where data are collected and processed. Positioning and management data are delivered to the customer information systems

Customer support

online help desk service, to support the customer in the day-by-day operations

Professional services

design, build and manage customized solutions according to the customer business needs

Social & industrial challenges

From now to 2030 $57 trillion in infrastructure investment are estimated. $400 billion a year could be saved by getting more out of existing capacity.
Precise and timely measurements of the geometry of critical infrastructure guarantee these results and help in the prevention of catastrophic failures and reduction of insurance costs.*
Economic losses due to natural disasters (landslides, floods, earthquakes and drought) since 2000 are in the range of $2.5 trillion.**
A proper monitoring system facilitates the development of hazards prediction to mitigate or eliminate the risk thus promoting management strategies.

System architecture

The GeoGuard system architecture is constituted of two main components:

GeoGuard Monitoring Unit (GMU)

It is based on newly designed price-competitive Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. The sensing infrastructure is composed of one or more GMU, integrated with additional sensing equipment according to the customer needs, permanently installed on the object to be monitored.

GeoGuard Cloud

It is the system that collects and organizes the data from GMU, verifies the data flow integrity, performs the positioning data processing in order to obtain and analyze deformations.

GeoGuard Monitoring Unit (GMU)

A GMU is a remote terminal unit specifically designed to operate in challenging environments. It can be powered in any location supporting AC, DC or solar power. GeoGuard Cloud can remotely manage the units via two-way communication. The GMU unit contains:

Processing Module: it includes microprocessor unit and local storage unit;

Communication Module: it includes the communication features with Ethernet, GSM/3G LTE and M2M radio connections;

Sensing Module: it features digital, analog I/O and an industry standard communication bus to connect and monitor any sensor the specific application might require;

Power Module: it provides power supply by alternate current (AC) and direct current (DC) from different sources, including photovoltaic panels.

GMU can create an autonomous local network, linked to the GeoGuard Cloud through a single point of external connection (GW).

GeoGuard Cloud

The core of the GeoGuard service receives and processes the data from the sensing infrastructure and provides point position time series, displacement and deformation information to the customer. It consists of the following functions:

Remote GMU management: provides all the information needed to manage the service, including administrative and service level agreement data;

Data processing:is tailored to best exploit the measurements of price-competitive GNSS receivers and is devoted to perform statistical and quality analyses of input observations and output results (detection of trends and sudden changes in position and sensors time series), in order to issue early warnings to the customer. It exploits goGPS and Bernese GPS Software 5.2 processing engines;

End user service interface: exposes the information provided by the GeoGuard service in two different modes:

a WEB Application enabling users to exploit the GeoGuard service functionalities according to the end user practices;

Who are we?

The GeoGuard service is delivered by GReD and Softeco through a collaboration program with the purpose of designing, building and operating solutions for the continuous monitoring of critical infrastructures and ground deformations. The service is guaranteed by the strong skills, assets and proven experience of GReD and Softeco in their fields of competence.

Softeco

Softeco Sismat, founded in 1979, is a leader in the Information and Communication Technology market.

Exploiting the full potential offered by Information & Communication Technology, the company delivers innovative solutions for the development of the business of its customers.

Softeco Sismat implements industrial and IT projects through the integration of systems, products, technologies and networks, together with technical and organizational consulting, specialized services and training .
A distinctive feature of the Company is the substantial investment in Research and Innovation. Long Term and steady participation in EU projects and an high number of international science and technology collaborations, are the keys for the development of Innovative Products and for the transformation of innovation into business solutions.
The Company operates in the fields of energy, transport, telecommunications, finance, and the whole market of industry with its solutions and services. On the market for over 35 years, Softeco Sismat has earned the trust of hundreds of customers and is partner of some of the major Italian and International players.
31 October 2016 Softeco Sismat entered the TerniEnergia Group, smart energy company active in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste and energy management, listed on the Star segment of the Italian Stock Exchange and the Group Italeaf.
With this acquisition Softeco Sismat can thus integrate their technology skills with those of TerniEnergia plant technology to achieve new and advanced systems and a new portfolio of products. The company further strengthened, is on the market as a player of international standing, in the most promising sectors of the energy industry, renewable energy, smartgrid, SmartCity, ITS, IOT.

GReD

GReD srl (www.g-red.eu) is a Spin-off SME of Politecnico di Milano, founded in 2012, which studies, designs and implements innovative and highly customized solutions based on geomatic technologies. GReD is characterized as a center of excellence focused on Research and Development, professional advice and algorithmic elaboration for the creation of state-of-the-art and innovative solutions based on geomatic technologies in the following application areas:

advanced surveying and cartographic applications;

augmented GNSS applications;

high precision high resolution gravimetric application;

space applications.

R&D activities concern the maintenance of state-of-the-art internal skills and in particular the definition and development of products and services for: